It’s good to know what’s needed in order to avoid being an easy target. You want to be a hard target for anyone who might be looking at you as part of the pool they’re looking at to potentially inflict harm. In this next section, we’re going to discuss the best things to do in order to keep yourself safe.
Be Aware Of Your Surroundings
Firstly, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings. Many of us will go about our daily business without a care in the world. It’s also something that we all often do, and that’s letting our guard down. It’s important to not always have your guard up, otherwise, that would lead you to feel anxious all the time and stressed out. Instead, a better way to approach it is just being aware of your surroundings. Take the time to look around you and to acknowledge everyone within the room or space. Whether you’re walking down a busy high street or you’re at a social gathering, keep an eye on everyone. Don’t let yourself get lost in what’s going on because even when you feel safe, there’s always danger nearby.
Walk A Certain Way
This may sound odd, but as mentioned above, the way you walk can say a lot about you to the attacker. With that being said, you want to walk in a normal fashion but to slightly elevate your movements. Being more dynamic in your steps that allow you to assert confidence and dominance is going to help quash any hopes of the attacker finding you to be weak. This doesn’t mean you need to overexaggerate it, with your arms flinging all over the place, it’s more the subtle change in your posture that counts. It still needs to look effortless and natural, otherwise, it might draw more attention than you intended.
Give Them A Glance
The best thing you can do when it comes to being aware of your surroundings is to give anyone you feel threatened or uncomfortable with a glance. This might not always work depending on the attacker and their own confidence, but for some, it might mean you’re crossed out from their choices. A quick glance in their direction is going to show them that you can see them and that you’re aware that they’re watching you. It also helps for you to find the next move in your situation in order to find safety as quickly as possible. Imagine you’re on a chessboard, you always want to be one move ahead, and that’s the same when it comes to handling a potential attack.
Avoid High-Risk Scenarios Or Situations
The threat or dangers of an attacker shouldn’t stop you from living your life because hopefully, it’s never something that happens to you. However, it’s always good practice to try and avoid any high-risk scenarios or situations where you might put yourself in unwanted danger. It could be that you’re walking home alone at night and you pick a shorter route, which leads you down a potentially dangerous area. Instead, it’s worth taking the longer route where there’s plenty of well-lit areas, nearby homes, or lots of people nearby. If you also find yourself in a situation that’s brewing or becoming uncomfortable, take yourself out of it as quickly as you can.
Let Your Presence Be Known To Others
If you find yourself in a position where you feel like you could already be a victim and you’re still surrounded by others, let your presence be known. Make sure you tell someone and that you’re making all the necessary arrangements to get out of your situation in the company of others. It’s safety and strength in numbers, and even if it’s the kindness of strangers, it’s best to tell someone of what’s going on, rather than braving it alone and hoping you could easily outsmart them without any idea of what to do.
Trust Your Gut
The saying, trust your gut or trust your instincts, is very much true. It’s essential that if you don’t feel like something is right, it’s important to get out of it. When it comes to the mind of the attacker, they’re going on what they see, but they can’t know what’s going on inside your head. That’s where you have the advantage, and if you don’t feel right, then you can still do something about it whilst you’re at least safe in your current situation.
Consider Taking Self-Defense Classes
With this being said, it’s important to know as much information as you can when it comes to protecting yourself. It doesn’t need to be a physical confrontation but knowing how to identify, neutralize, or avoid these attackers altogether. It’s worth taking self-defense classes for your own personal protection, and everyone can benefit from them.